Locking wrench and plier



A ril 15,- 1952 H. T. JONES LOCKING WRENCH AND PLIER Filed Jan. 23, 1950 INVENTOR. HAROLD T. JONES ATTORNEYJ Patented Apr. 15, 1952 U NITED' STAT PATENT GPF F'l-CE.

2,592,807 LOCKING WRENCH'A'ND' PLI'ER;

Harold-"TrJones, Vallejo, Calif. Application January 23, 1950,,Serial'No. 140,053

This invention relates to toggle actuated wrenches of the general type disclosed in'Patent No. 2,280,005 and more particularly to toggle re lease mechanisms of the general-type disclosed in my copending application, SerialNo. 541,222,

now Patent No. 2,514,130, issued July 4,1950, of

which the present subject matter is a continuation-in-part.

The principal object is to. providea' toggle type wrench having. a toggle release lever which may be actuated by a finger of. the hand for opening the wrench, the release lever being associated with the wrench in a novel manner.

Further objects, advantages, and salient'features will become more apparent from a eonsid eration of thedescription to follow, the appended claims, and the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of oneform of wrench with portions broken away to reveal certain details of the actuating linkage;

Figure 2 is a section taken on line 2 -2,' Fig-'- ure 1;

Figure 3 is a section taken on.lin'e1.3"-3,' Fig ure 1;

Figure 4 is a perspective of a detail of Figures 1 to 3; I

Figure 5 is a fragmentary side elevation, poi-'- tionsbeing broken away, of another form of'tog'-- gle release mechanism;

Figure 6 is a section takenon line 6B, Figure 5;

Figure 7 is a fragmentary side elevation, portions being broken away, of a modified'form of traveling abutment which may be employed'in any of the preceding figures;

Figure 8 is a fragmentary side elevation, por tions being broken away, of another'form'of'toggle release mechanism;

Figure 9 is a similar view of still anotherform oi toggle release mechanism; and

Figure 10 is a section taken on line Ill-l0, Figure 9.

Referring in detail to' the-drawing; and partic ularly Figures 1 to 4, the'wrench comprises a channel shaped handle 20 having a stationary jaw 2! at its forward end, a movable jaw22pivotally secured; to the wrench by pivot pin 23, a channel shaped operating lever 24 'pivotally secured at its forward end to the-movable jaw by pivot pin 25; and a toggle link 26 pivotally secured at its lower end to operating lever-24-by pivot pin 27, and at its upper end to handle 20. A spring 28 is connected at one end to the handle and at its other end-'to-the movablejaw for urging the movable jaw away' from the 1 station- 8 Claims.- (Cl. 81'84-) ary jaw. Theconstruction so-rardescribed; with the'exception of the-pivotal connection of tog gle' link 20 andhandle'fll; whichwill be herein-- after described in detail, is conventional and resembles the construction shown in Patent No.

In the operation of the wrench so far described theupper endof toggle link 26- suitably positioned on the handlesothat pivotpin" 2'! rocks over center; that is; abovelineL, extending between pivot'pin 25 and the pivotal axis of the upper end of the toggle link, when the'jaws engage an article-=29: In thisposition the wrench is tightlylocked on the article and considerable spreading forceis required to open the wrench to the dotted'lineposition.

The subject of the-prese-nt invention relatesto novel means'for adjusting theupper" end of toggle link 25 andfor'opening the wrench, which will now be described:

The'rearward end of handleZfl terminates in a circular portion which threadedly receives an adjusting screw 3]. Screw 31' is provided with an axial bore 32 which receives a stem 33 on one end of a traveling block or'abutmentmember 34. This" abutment member isflatt'ened on opposed sides and the upper end-of'toggle link 2 6is pivotally secured thereto by a pivot pin 35; toggle link 2t also being channel shaped, except near its upper end so that the parallelwalls of the channel may straddle the abutment member, as best shownin'Figure2.

A- release lever pivotal support 36 of a shape to slide within the channel-walls of handle 20; as best" shown in Figure-3, is apertured to-receive stem 33 and projects belowhandle 20' terminating ina lug 3-1 which pivotal-1y supports a channel shaped toggle release-lever 38 by' meansof'pivot pin 39 extending through the ligand the walls of the channel, as best shown in' Figure 3'. The release lever is provided with a cammingpor-t-ion 40 and a portion 4-! extending rearwardly 'of-operatinglever 24 which is adapted to beengaged bya finger of the hand holding the wrench.

From the construction just described it will now be apparent thatabutment 34 may be posi-= tioned along handle 20to any desired position by screw 3| to provide a desired squeezing force by the'jaws 2|, 22 on article29- whenthe'toggle link 26 rocks above center. When it is desired to release the wrench from the article, portion-4i is moved upwardly by a finger of the hand, usually the little finger, and camming portion id engages operating-lever 24, urging itaway-from handle iil, thusmoving pivot pin "21 below cen 3 ter, after which spring 28 moves the movable jaw to the position shown in dotted lines, Figure 1.

In Figure 5 an alternative construction is shown wherein toggle release lever 38a is pivotally secured to abutment 34a on portion 36a forwardly of pivot pin 35a by pivot pin 390., this lever having a camming portion 4011. which engages lateral projections 42 on toggle link 26a. Lever 26a is formed as a channel but the side walls are closer together than the walls of toggle link 26, in the region where toggle link 26a and toggle release lever 38a cross. Abutment 34a is substantially the same as abutment 34, except for its increased length and cut away portion to provide suitable space in which toggle link 2611 may swing. It is to be particularly observed that the pivotal connections of the toggle release levers, in both constructions so far described, move with the abutment members under control of screw 31 and the essential difference between the two constructions resides in the camming portions of the release levers, the first construction camming against the operating lever and the second against the toggle link. It will also be apparent that release lever support 360. may be made integral with abutment 34, if desired, rather than as a separate member.

Figure 7 shows a construction which may be alternatively employed in either of the constructions so far described. In this construction stem 33a is formed on the end of screw 3m and extends into a bore 32a. in abutment member 34a. As illustrated release lever support 36 is shown on stem 33a, but it will be understood that if the forward end of the toggle release lever is positioned forwardly of pivot pin 35a, as shown in Figure 5, the abutment member would be constructed as shown in Figure 5, but with a bore as shown in Figure '7, rather than with a stem. It will also be apparent that the novel abutment constructions have utility in a conventional wrench which does not employ a toggle release lever, release lever support 36 merely being omitted.

In Figure 8 another form of the invention is illustrated wherein the toggle release lever is pivoted to the handle 20, but not movable longitudinally thereof. In this construction a lug 361) projects laterally of handle 20 and has a toggle release lever 38b pivotally secured thereto by pivot pin 3%. Camming portion 40b engages the operating lever 24 in the same manner as described for Figures 1 to 4 to open the wrench.

In Figure 9 and the construction is similar to Figure 8 in the respect that toggle release lever 38c is pivoted to handle 20 by a pivot pin 39c which extends between the side walls of the channel shaped handle. It differs, however, in the respect that camming portions 400 engage lateral projections 42c on the toggle link, as in Figure 5, rather than the operating lever, as in Figure 8.

Many other modifications will become apparent to those skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit of the invention, and the illustrations are to be considered as exemplary only and the invention not limited to the specific details thereof, except as defined by the scope of the appended claims.

Having described the invention, what I claim as new is:

1. In a, wrench of the type having an elongated handle provided with a stationary jaw at the forward end thereof, a movable jaw mounted on said handle arranged to cooperate with the stationary jaw to grip an article, a toggle for operating the movable jaw comprising an operating lever piv otally engaged at the forward end thereof to the movable jaw and a toggle link pivotally engaged at its ends to the handle and said operating lever intermediate the ends thereof, the operating lever extending longitudinally adjacent the handle in spaced relation thereto and arranged to be squeezed by a hand engaging the wrench to lock the toggle, the improvement which comprises; an elongated toggle release lever having a portion positioned between said handle and said operating lever and extending longitudinally and rearwardly in the space therebetween and being pivotally supported by the handle and mounted for movement in a plane passing through said handle and said operating lever, the release lever having a portion projecting rearwardly beyond the rear end of the operating lever adapted to be engaged by a finger of the hand, the release lever having a camming portion engageable with said toggle when it is actuated.

2. A wrench in accordance with claim 1 wherein said camming portion is engageable with the operating lever portion of said toggle.

3. A wrench in accordance with claim 1 wherein said release lever is pivotally supported by said handle about a longitudinally movable pivotal axis thereon.

4. A wrench in accordance with claim 1 including a movable abutment carried by said handle having a pivotal connection with one end of said toggle link, means for adjusting the position of said abutment longitudinally of the handle, the pivotal support of said toggle release lever being movable with said abutment.

5. In a wrench of the type having a first member formed as an elongated handle provided with a. stationary jaw at the forward end thereof, a movable jaw mounted on said member arranged to cooperate with the stationary jaw to grip an article, a toggle for operating the movable jaw comprising a second member formed as an operating lever pivotally connected at the forward end thereof to the movable jaw, and a third member formed as a toggle link pivotally connected at its ends to the first and second member intermediate the ends thereof, the second member extending longitudinally adjacent the first member in spaced relation thereto and arranged to be squeezed by a hand engaging the wrench to lock the toggle, the improvement which comprises; an elongated toggle release lever having a portion positioned between said first and second members and extending longitudinally and rearwardly in the space therebetween, mounted for movement in a plane passing through the last named members, the release lever having a finger engaging portion projecting rearwardly beyond the rear end of said second member adapted to be engaged by a, finger of the hand, the release lever being pivotally connected to the first member and having a camming portion engageable with the second member when the finger engaging portion is actuated in a direction toward the first member, and means for adjusting the position of the pivotal connection of the toggle longitudinally along the handle comprising first and econd parts, the first part being a longitudinally movable screw carried by the rear end of said handle, and the second part being a traveling abutment carried by the handle pivotally engaging the toggle link, one of the parts having a round stem extending axially and rotatably within a plain bore in the end of the other part, the toggle release lever being carried by the travelling abutment and being longitudinally movable therewith.

6. In a wrench of the type having a first member formed as an elongated handle provided with a stationary jaw at the forward end thereof, a movable jaw mounted on said member arranged to cooperate with the stationary jaw to grip an article, a toggle for operating the movable jaw comprising a second member formed as an operating lever pivotally connected at the forward end thereof to the movable jaw, and a third member formed as a toggle link pivotally connected at its ends to the first and second members intermediate the ends thereof, the second member extending longitudinally adjacent the first member in spaced relation thereto and arranged to be squeezed by a hand engaging the wrench to lock the toggle, the improvement which comprises; means for adjusting the position of the pivotal connection of the toggle longitudinally along the handle comprising first and second parts, the first part being a longitudinally movable screw carried by the rear end of said handle, and the second part being a traveling abutment carried by the handle pivotally engaging the link, one of the parts having a round stem extending axially and rotatably within a plain bore in an end of the other part.

7. A wrench in accordance with claim 6 wherein said stem is carried by said first part.

8. In a wrench of the type having an elongated handle provided with a stationary jaw at the forward end thereof, a movable jaw mounted on said handle arranged to cooperate with the stationary jaw to grip an article, a toggle for opcrating the movable jaw comprising an operating lever pivotally engaged at the forward end thereof to the movable jaw and a toggle link pivotally engaged at its ends to the handle and said operating lever intermediate the ends thereof, the operating lever extending longitudinally adjacent the handle in spaced relation thereto and arranged to be squeezed by a hand engaging the wrench to lock the toggle, the improvement which comprises; means for adjusting the position of the pivotal connection of the toggle link longitudinally along the handle comprising first and second parts, the first part being a longitudinally movable screw carried by the rear end of said handle, and the second part being a traveling abutment carried by the handle pivotally engaging the toggle link, one of said parts having a round stem extending axially and rotatably with in a, plain bore in the other part.

HAROLD T. JONES.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,443,153 Wells June 8, 1948 2,462,709 Ball Feb. 22, 1949 2,487,281 Steckelberg Nov. 8, 1949 2,489,895 Kash Nov. 29, 1949 2,500,261 Parker Mar. 14, 1950 2,514,130 Jones July 4, 1950 2,523,385 Mead Sept. 26, 1950 

